Recipe: Gluten-Free Sourdough No-Cut Doughnuts

Light and airy with a hint of crispness around the edges, these yeast-risen doughnuts don’t fall too far from their wheat-filled counterparts. In order to keep them light, the dough is not rolled and cut as wheat-based doughnuts are. Instead the dough is left loose, helping it to rise beautifully. When it comes time to fry, the dough is either spooned in for doughnut holes or piped onto parchment for easy round doughnuts.

Note that instant yeast can be added to this recipe to add more yeast-risen flavor and texture, but the sourdough starter can be used alone as the leavening.

Instructions:

Combine the warmed milk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine all of the ingredients and then stir in the gluten-free sourdough starter.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, xanthan gum, flax seed, sugar, salt, and instant yeast (if using).

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir well. The dough will turn into a sticky cake batter-like consistency. Stir two more minutes to develop the structure of the dough. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and collect all of the dough into a mound in the middle of the bottom of the bowl.

Cover and set aside to rise for 2-6 hours, or until doubled. If the commercial yeast was added, it will only take a couple of hours. If sourdough is the only leavening agent used, it could take up to six hours to double, depending on the temperature at which it rests.

Once the dough has doubled, fill a pot with at least 3 inches of coconut oil. Be sure to choose a pot that can comfortably fit this oil without filling more than half full. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F over medium heat.

Meanwhile, if preparing large, round doughnuts, cut a sheet of parchment paper into squares the size of the doughnuts you wish to make. A three inch diameter is the largest you would want the doughnuts, in order for them to fry evenly.

Lay these parchment squares onto a clean surface. Carefully spoon the risen batter into a quart-sized ziploc bag, being careful not to deflate it too much. If doughnut holes are desired, half the batter can be left in the bowl for those.

Once the batter is in the bag, seal it carefully and snip the bottom corner to create a ½ inch opening. Gently coax the batter down to that end and slowly squeeze the batter onto the parchment squares to form a round doughnut shape. (They round off in the oil so they do not need to be perfectly shaped.)

When the oil is hot and the doughnuts ready to fry, test the oil with just a teaspoon of batter.Once dropped in, it should immediately sizzle and float. If this doesn’t happen, turn the heat up slightly. If this happens but the dough cooks too quickly, lower the heat.

Instructions for Frying Doughnut Holes:

Spoon a tablespoon of batter from the bowl and gently scrape the dough into the hot oil using a second spoon.

Cook small batches of these for 30-45 seconds or until a deep, golden brown, turning them once during the cooking process.

Remove with a slotted spoon or spatula and place on a paper towel-lined platter.

Instructions for Frying Round Doughnuts:

Carefully lift the parchment and doughnut together and invert into the oil so that the doughnut is facing down in the oil and the parchment is floating at the top. The parchment will quickly come away as the doughnut fries and the parchment can then be removed with tongs or a spatula.

Allow the doughnut to cook for 60-75 seconds or until deep golden brown, turning once during the cooking process.

Remove with a slotted spoon or spatula and place on a cooling rack set over a baking tray.